Do Elk avoid grazing cattle?

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deltaecho

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I have a Cow elk tag in ND (which is once in a liftetime). I have heard that if there is a herd of cattle grazing in an area, the elk will avoid it. Since I have limited times I can get out and hunt, I was thinking, if I see cattle...keep moving on to the next spot.
Anyone have real world experience with this?
Thanks!
 
As a gwberal rule they wont mix. But that doesnt mean they will blow out to the next drainage either. There are several studies you can google and see how the interact depending on the season and forage available. Just last weekend i busted a group 50 yards from a herd of cattle that had bedded.
 
They don't spook at cattle, but they do tend to avoid them. My guess is that while elk recognize cattle as basically just another 4-legged grass munching animal, they older elk have learned to relate them with humans.
 
I've seen both. Generally I'd say they prefer to be separate but equal. But I'll occasionally see deer and elk hanging out with moo-cows. Can't figure out if its for feed or water or security or just coincidence.
 
Thanks for all the responses folks. Looks like if the area is promising and I see some Cattle, I should not move out too quickly.

If I had a regular cow tag (bovine), we would have a freezer full of meat...they are all over the roads on the National Grasslands.
 
I wouldn’t waste my time in a drainage if cattle are in it. Sure you might find an elk in it now and again, but I don’t like rolling a loaded set of dice when I’m hunting elk.
 
Many of the spots I hunt elk have cattle.. I can think of a couple that we have had to move to avoid piles of cow dung while quartering. They died literally on top of fresh cow crap. To avoid a spot simply because there are cows is crazy, avoid spots where there is no elk sign.
 
I wouldn't worry about it too much. I hunt the grasslands and elk visit the places cows hang out. I wouldn't hunt where the cattle are, but get 1/4-1/2 mile away for safety purposes and hunt away. Last year I hunted a unit in WYO that is loaded with cattle and I saw more elk than any other hunt I have been on.
 
My daily walk takes me through the backside of a ranch in Evergreen Co, from that I can see about a 300 acre field. This area is not hunted. Like clockwork , if the moo cows are grazing, no elk in the field. And vice versa. I've yet to see the 2 together in 1.5 years of almost daily walks.

Side note, saw an absolute giant bull elk laying in the field with his harem last Sunday at 5pm, soaking up rays.
 
I'm kind of neutral about them. I have seen them grazing together in the same USFS and BLM land. Not touching noses or anything, but as close as 10 feet or so at one point. I've never seen a big bull elk do that, however, mainly just cows and young bulls. I don't think elk seek them out, but I don't think they spend a lot of energy avoiding them, either. They do compete for the same grasses.
 
I've watched elk time after time move into a draw and push the cows out. Seen it several times a bull will charge cows to push them out of the area. I know when elk move in the mule deer move out.
 
My experience in Northern New Mexico is that the elk tend to prefer not to be near the cows. They will frequent the same fields but at different times.
 
If you're hunting dry climates, cattle can mean elk. Maybe not grazing together, but in the same vicinity since water will be nearby. No water, no cattle.
 
my opinion is if they cattle are around a while they will get used to each other pretty quickly. Cattle that were just moved into an area can push the elk out for a bit, but not for long. They use the same water and eat the same grass. My biggest issue with cattle and elk mixing is spooking the cows which spook the elk. Has happened to me more than once ha.....
 
deltaecho said:
I have a Cow elk tag in ND (which is once in a liftetime). I have heard that if there is a herd of cattle grazing in an area, the elk will avoid it. Since I have limited times I can get out and hunt, I was thinking, if I see cattle...keep moving on to the next spot.
Anyone have real world experience with this?
Thanks!
Click to expand...
I don't know about that part of the country but I have seen cattle walk in on a small bedded heard and the cattle grazed about 50 yards away from the elk and the elk never left their beds
 
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